Based on the responses of college students, the traits that appear in the lists were divided into equal numbers of masculine traits, feminine traits, and socially desirable traits that have no particular sex role. (Thus the columns' labels.)

Androgyny was defined in earlier research as being inversely related to the size of the difference between masculinity and feminitity scores, thus, an androgynous person would have scores very close together. However, after further research, the preferred definition of androgyny became "achieving a high femininity score and a high masculinity score." The second definition has been proven a better predictor of behavior. (Hoyenga 221).